town of civilians and finished working on the fort, they attacked the Union vessels at dawn on August 17. Lieutenant Kittredge responded with counter battery fire and silenced the guns temporarily. Whenever the Union ships ceased firing, the Confederates would man the battery again and continue fighting. This process of repeatedly silencing the fort lasted all day and night until Kittredge withdrew his ships due to the darkness. Sachem and Corypheus were both damaged slightly, Bella Italia is known to have been hit as well, the shot wounded a petty officer on deck. Near midnight on the 17th, Belle Italia sent a shore party of thirty sailors and a 12 pounder howitzer to attack the fort; seventy other sailors were available for landing but only Bella Italias thirty men were sent ashore. That same night rebel forces scuttled A.B. in the shallow channel that leads to Nueces Bay. Kittredge in Corypheus repeatedly tried to tow the ship out of the channel before it burned completely, this was undertaken either to take the ship as a prize or to prevent the ship from sinking and blocking the narrow channel. The Union ships stayed as far away as possible which helped prevent casualties on both sides. The distance of the ships from the fort meant both forces had to fire at maximum range, thus decreasing the effectiveness of their shots. The Confederate gunners were also untrained; a shortage of gunpowder left them without the ability to practice before the engagement. The next morning the landing force advanced until within cannon and musket range of the fort; fighting again commenced and soon the ships resumed bombarding the rebel guns. At this time Major Hobby and twenty-five infantrymen advanced in order to defend the battery. Cavalry under Lieutenant James A. Ware were held in reserve but eventually joined-in the attack. Skirmishing continued for a time; the Union sailors held out due to their ships which supported them with artillery fire. After a prolonged skirmish, the Union forces on land began to run low on ammunition so they started an organized retreat back to Bella Italia with help from the blockade. Fort Kinney was not taken but it was silenced by Union fire at this time. The Confederates defeated the shore party and withdrew to the town. Crewmen of United States Navy ships saw this movement so Kittredge ordered the bombardment of the coastal buildings